Statin therapy, widely used for cardiovascular risk reduction, was associated with an increased risk of peripheral nerve entrapment disorders in a large national cohort. Published in Clinical Therapeutics, this analysis assessed whether statin use influences the likelihood of CTS or UNE in adults with and without T2DM.

The study evaluated 4,771,118 individuals from Swedish national registers between 2011 and 2014. Of these, 765,114 received statin prescriptions in the preceding five years, and 244,220 had T2DM. Statin exposure was associated with higher risks of CTS (RR 1.5; 95% CI 1.4–1.5) and UNE (RR 1.4; 95% CI 1.3–1.5) after adjustment for demographic, cardiovascular, and socioeconomic variables.

In individuals with T2DM, statin therapy remained associated with increased CTS risk (RR 1.3; 95% CI 1.2–1.4) but showed no significant association with UNE (RR 1.1; 95% CI 0.9–1.3). Cardiovascular disease independently increased risks for both conditions in the full population.

The findings indicate that CTS and UNE may arise through different pathophysiological mechanisms, and that the presence of diabetes may modify susceptibility to nerve entrapment. These results support careful monitoring for neuropathic symptoms during long-term statin therapy, particularly in individuals at elevated risk.